Album: Beatitude
Year: 1982
. . .
Ric Ocasek was always a bit of a mystery, but one of the things that we forget was that he was nearing his mid-30s when The Cars came out of nowhere and changed everything. Or at least changed everything for me, as I’m only half-joking when I say that side two of The Cars remains the ultimate achievement of Western Civilization.
And because he maintained that air of mystery over the next few decades — those sunglasses did a lot of heavy lifting — it seemed like he died way too young, when in reality he older than Neil Young. It’s a weird world.
And so after the epochal album came the clone Candy-O, the experiment Panorama and the (relative) comeback Shake it Up, none of which I enjoyed as much as the debut, though, Shake It Up came close.
So it was after those four records in four years when Ocasek put out his first solo album, Beatitude, which I would love to report that I really loved, but outside of the opening track, “Jimmy Jimmy,” I honestly don’t remember much about it.
One of the things I loved about The Cars was the ongoing tension between the tense, clipped guitar parts and Greg Hawkes weird keyboard exploration, always pulling the music into two directions at once. Beatitude was a little too much Hawkes for 1982 Jim, who was doing everything he could to not be called “Jimmy” anymore.
Hey Jimmy
What’s the matter with you tonight
Nothing to do
Can’t think of anything to do
Got to get out of here
Of course, 40 years later, “Jimmy Jimmy” obviously sounds like its time, and most certainly could have fit just fine in Panorama at the very least. Because Ocasek brings the same combination of melody and detachment, especially on the chorus, which features heavily synthesized backing vocals singing “America”, which might have come from Greg Hawkes or might not have.
(America)
Nobody’s getting off
We’re all in this together
(America)
Nobody’s getting off
It must be now or never
(America)
Nobody’s getting off
Must this drag on forever
(America)
Nobody’s getting off
We’re all in this together
With the synthesized background chants of “Jimmy Jimmy” and the never-ending pulse, the whole song takes on it’s own momentum by the end, even as things just seem to get worse and worse for poor Jimmy — kind of an updated version of the troubles that plagued Jimmy in Quadrophenia — as his parents find his porn and worry about his mental and physical health.
After his solo detour, Ric Ocasek returned with The Cars and got on board with MTV in order to have one last massive album, 1984’s Heartbeat City, which landed 3 singles in the top 20, including their biggest chart hit, the utterly inescapable “Drive.” I didn’t really like Heartbeat City, though by that time, Ocasek had a lifetime pass.
After that, I lost the plot: totally ignored 1987’s Door to Door, and didn’t even know that Ocasek had a half-dozen more solo albums all the way up to 2005, though I did enjoy some of post-Ben Orr reunion, 2011’s Move Like This, because why not?
“Jimmy Jimmy”
“Jimmy Jimmy” Official Music Video
“Jimmy Jimmy” performed live
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